In this classic, the world's expert on language and mind lucidly explains everything you always wanted to know about language: how it works, how children learn it, how it changes, how the brain computes it, and how it evolved. With deft use of examples of humor and wordplay, Steven Pinker weaves our vast knowledge of language into a compelling story: language is a human instinct, wired into our brains by evolution. The Language Instinct received the William James Book Prize from the American Psychological Association and the Public Interest Award from the Linguistics Society of America. This edition includes an update on advances in the science of language since The Language Instinct was first published.

《语言研究》是一本专为语言学初学者编写的入门教材。全书共分二十一章。作者以科学、客观的态度把人类关于语言的研究做了一番详细、全面的介绍，几乎涉及语言研究的所有领域。有些领域甚至分得非常细，如构词法和形态学专辟两章，语法和句法专辟两章，语用学和话语分析也分两章介绍。全书的语言朴实易懂，没有用新奇的术语唬人。为便于读者学习，每章还配有许多思考题和习题。 该书介绍的语言研究涵盖传统语言学（如语言文字学、历史语言学）和现代西方语言学诸领域。但是作者不以流派分章节，重在介绍现代语言学，兼顾传统语言学；既注重知识的系统性，又顾及到内容的趣味性。例如，作者在论述语言的属性之后意犹未尽，又辟一章举数例说明人和动物之间在交际和学习语言方面的根本差异：灵长目动物黑猩猩虽然能理解一些极基本的符号，但是它们的交际能力与人类的语言能力不可同日而语。 当代国外语言学与应用语言学文库

《语言学入门(新版)》以通俗的英语向读者介绍了当代语言学所涉及的诸多领域和学科，包括语言的定义、词汇学、语义学、音位学、句法学、文体学等。This book introduces the nature of language. It deals with the sounds that we make when we speak, with the way in which we construct sentences, with the ways in which our speech varies between social situations, and so no. It does so by the commonly adopted method of having chapters with such headings as phonetics, syntax, social variation. Less conventionally, it has a major chapter which, againse the background of these aspects of linguistics, presents the principal features of the languages of western Europe. You have at least one remarkable skill; you can speak a language. For at least one language you generally know what can and what cannot be designated by the everyday words, you know what is and what is not an acceptable way of combining words to form a sentence, you have a good idea of whether or not a particular statement would be acceptable in a particular social situation. As a skilled user, then, you already have a substantial foundation for the study of language. That foundation and an interest in language are all you need; given those, this introductory book can lead you to an understanding of what language consists of ,of how it works. It serves as an introductory book for students of linguistics and as important background material for students of modern languages. Reflecting my work in continuing education, I have attempted to write in a readable style that will also made the book attractive to the many people who want to explore the fascinating world of language without entering full-time education. I would like to thank my wife Bery1 and a student, Arthur McIvor, for taking time to read and comment on my draft. I also thank Bery1 for her support and tolerance while I was working on the book. I also thank Arthur as a representative of those students whose interest and enthusiansm help to inspire and reward my work. The facilties of the University of Edinburgh such as the library and word-processing facilities have been of great assistance.

酝酿写这样一本《语音学教程》已是将近十年前的事了。当时我正在为北大中文系汉语专业本科生讲授“语音学”课程，由于近二三十年来语音学发展极为迅速，在讲课时深感缺少一部适合汉语专业学生用的，能反映语音学新发展的新教材，当时就曾经动过编写的念头。不久以后，这门课改由王理嘉同志讲授，我们就考虑根据几年来的讲课经验，试着合作编出这样一本教材来。我先拟出了一份编写提纲，王理嘉同志根据这个提纲结合他的讲稿很快就写出了绪论和前五章的初稿，陆续交给我修改补充。在修改过程中逐渐发现，只作为汉语专业本科生的教材来编写，内容受到相当大的局限。目前语音学的作用已经遍及与人类语言有关的各个学科，这些学科都直接或间接地需要一定的语音学知识，如果把内容写得开阔些，也许能适合各方面读者的需要。在这样的认识基础上，我就对前五章初稿做了较大的修改和补充，有些章节可以说是全部重写的。然后，由我写出六、七两章，王理嘉同志写出最后一章“音位和区别特征”。全部完成后由我通读定稿。书中存在的缺点和错误，主要应该由我负责的。 1986年春，正在编写得有些眉目时，我突然得了一场几乎送了命的病，动了一次大手术，休养一年多，到1987年秋才逐步恢复工作，积压下来许多工作，一时无暇顾及这部教材。直到1989年，才又拿出来断断续续地改，断断续续地写，直到最近才算完成。 本教材是一部介绍语音学基础知识的书，从传统语音学入手，吸收了近年来国内外的一些现代语音学研究成果。在编写过程中较多考虑一般读者的可接受性，尽量避免使用一些过于专门的新名词概念。各章基本上都可以分为三部分：先从传统语音学角度介绍一些基本概念，然后重点分析普通话语音，最后介绍实验语音学的一些基本常识和研究成果。因此，本书也可以说是由传统语音学、普通话语音和实验语音学三部分组成的，各部分基本上能够自成系统，读者可以通读全书，也可以根据自己的需要着重选读自己有兴趣的部分。最后一章“音位和区别特征”只是简介性质的，这方面的研究，无论是理论还是实践，至今仍处于众说纷纭、莫衷一是的阶段，详细的介绍不是这样一本语音学教材所能够包括的。各章之后都附有一定分量的练习。现代语音学虽然已经大量地使用仪器，但口耳训练仍应是基础，练习中有一些是训练口耳的，最好能在有经验的人指导下进行，实在不得已，也可以采取互帮互学相互纠正的办法，但效果可能会差一些。 近年来发表了大量的汉语方言和我国少数民族语言的调查报告，为本书的编写提供了极其有价值的资料，大大地充实了本书的内容。对这些报告的作者，是应该致以诚挚的谢意的。本书引用语音例证首先考虑北京话，北京语里找不到的先从苏州、广州、厦门、福州等大方言点里选，大方言点里找不到的从小方言点里选，汉语里找不到的先从我国少数民族语言和英语里选，只有在非常必要时才选用一些其他语言的例证。绝大多数例证都属于间接引用材料，不可能一一直接核正。第一、二两章中的插图有一些也是引自国内外的语音学著作，但大都根据本书需要做了部分的修改。限于篇幅，对所引用的语言资料和插图不可能一一注明来源。

《语言与文化(英文)》是一部从语言学、社会学、人类学等角度，介绍语言与文化关系的导论性著作。作者C•克拉姆契（Claire Kramsch）是美国加州伯克利大学德语以及外语习得专业的著名教授。本书的主体（概述部分）分为七章。《语言与文化(英文)》为牛津语言学入门丛书之一。